Racing conditions were near perfect for an Alaskan evening. At the start of the race it was 32F at Goose Lake. The lake laps were fast and tight. A pack of 6+ made a strong push out of the chute and the distance between them and myself grew larger with every lap--i'm clearly going to have to work on my ice cornering skills. The course had several longer straights that through you into hard S turns. For added excitement, a median was left in place as racers entered a hard 90 degree left. (I was never actually close enough to other riders to see if this provided for any unique passing opportunities). There was a narrow (2' ?) section of gently twisting track that was peppered with overflow, slush, and potholes. The course had sections that ranged in width from 2ft to 10ft, glare ice to loose powder, and all while being fenced in by 2' snow banks. A real treat for a lap course. The unofficial lenght came to .6 miles.

After completing six laps, riders were then sent on a jaunt from Goose Lake to Westchester Lagoon via the Chester Creek Trail. The trail is groomed city pathway that is very well lit by overhead streetlights. While this alleviated some of more traditional night racing difficulties, those of us with skinny tires (2.35" Nokian--only in Alaska would a 235 be a skinny tire....) did feel the fresh "grooming". Roundtrip mileage from the Goose to the Lagoon was estimated at approximately 8 miles (that's 11.6 miles total for those of you keeping score.)

Post race festivities included a couple of cases, brats, elk steak, homeade chili, and the ever so popular burn barrel. Big thanks to everyone for their efforts and participation. (The elk was delicious!)